1 min read
IC 63 Ghost Nebula in Infrared
Hubble Captures the Ghost of Cassiopeia in Near-Infrared Light
Powerful gushers of energy from seething stars can sculpt eerie-looking figures with long flowing veils of gas and dust. One striking example is "the Ghost of Cassiopeia," officially known as IC 63, located 550 light-years away in the constellation Cassiopeia the Queen.
The nebula's ethereal glow might remind people of apparitions such as those reported by paranormal investigators. In reality, when viewed in near-infrared wavelengths, streamers of dust are reflecting light from the nearby, blue-giant star Gamma Cassiopeiae (not seen here). In this near-infrared view background stars and galaxies can be seen through the semitransparent dust clouds. A blue color was assigned to shorter infrared wavelengths in one exposure. A red color was assigned to longer infrared wavelengths in a second exposure, and the images were then combined. Hubble photographed IC 63 in August 2016.
The constellation Cassiopeia is visible every clear night from mid-northern and higher latitudes. Its distinctive "W" asterism, which forms the queen's throne, is best seen high in the sky on autumn and winter evenings. Gamma Cassiopeiae, the middle star in the W, is visible to the unaided eye, but a large telescope is needed to see IC 63.
About the Object
- R.A. PositionR.A. PositionRight ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position.00:59:04.68
- Dec. PositionDec. PositionDeclination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position.+60:53:42.12
- ConstellationConstellationOne of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears.Cassiopeia
- DistanceDistanceThe physical distance from Earth to the astronomical object. Distances within our solar system are usually measured in Astronomical Units (AU). Distances between stars are usually measured in light-years. Interstellar distances can also be measured in parsecs.IC 63 is located 550 light-years away from Earth.
- DimensionsDimensionsThe physical size of the object or the apparent angle it subtends on the sky.Image is about 2.7 arcmin across (about 0.5 light-years).
About the Data
- Data DescriptionData DescriptionProposal: A description of the observations, their scientific justification, and the links to the data available in the science archive.
Science Team: The astronomers who planned the observations and analyzed the data. "PI" refers to the Principal Investigator.The HST observations include those from program 14186 H. Arab (University of Strasbourg) - InstrumentInstrumentThe science instrument used to produce the data.WFC3/IR
- Exposure DatesExposure DatesThe date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time.Aug 26 - 31, 2016
- FiltersFiltersThe camera filters that were used in the science observations.F110W, F160W
- Object NameObject NameA name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.IC 63
- Object DescriptionObject DescriptionThe type of astronomical object.Nebula
- Release DateOctober 25, 2018
- Science ReleaseHubble Captures the Ghost of Cassiopeia
- Credits
These images are a composite of separate exposures acquired by the WFC3 instrument on the Hubble Space Telescope. Several filters were used to sample narrow wavelength ranges. The color results from assigning different hues (colors) to each monochromatic (grayscale) image associated with an individual filter. In this case, the assigned colors are: Cyan: F110W Orange: F160W
Related Images & Videos
IC 63 Ghost Nebula Optical to Infrared Animation
Hubble has photographed the "Ghost Nebula," which has eerie, semitransparent flowing veils of gas and dust. The nebula is being blasted by a torrent of radiation from a nearby, blue-giant star. This animation flips between two views from Hubble. The more colorful image is taken...
Share
Details
Claire Andreoli
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
claire.andreoli@nasa.gov
